How you can help us

By Khalid Mohidin

Hey, guys! Welcome to another issue of Cricket Fanatics Magazine, the first and only fan-driven Cricket publication in South Africa.

We started this venture on 1 July 2019 with a vision to get fans from all walks of life engaged with the game and give them access to the personalities in South African Cricket.

We want to tell the untold stories of South African cricket and we want fans to be heard.

Since we started, we covered the Mzansi Super League, Women’s Super League, Proteas Men and Women International Test, ODI and T20I series, as well as school and club cricket, with the aim of providing entertaining, engaging and educational content.

But haven't stopped there.

We started a Monthly Magazine where we provide multi-media content, including exclusive features, opinion pieces and analysis.

This works hand-in-hand with our YouTube channel where we produce unique cricket shows that allow fans to call in and have their say.

We have the Daily Show, which reveals all the major talking points in South African cricket, the Sunday Podcast Show where we sit back, relax and engage with the live chat, answering all the questions fans have about us and the game.

We have Off-Side Maidens, the first ever All-Women’s Cricket Show on YouTube, which helps empower women in cricket and gives them a place to share their own views on not only women’s cricket but all cricket.

We have a Legends show, where we interview all legends in cricket.

To produce all of this, we’ve invested a lot of money, time and effort to bring this to you for free.

But to keep this going we need your help.

So we have opened a Patreon account.

In the past, the super-rich supported the work of artists as patrons of the art.

Today, we are fortunate that technology has enabled anyone to become a patron of creative work, even if they are not billionaires.

We have therefore launched a campaign for you as a Cricket Fan to become a patron and support us as an independent, bootstrapped publisher.

As a Patron, you also get your voice heard as a Fan.

Plus: You have the opportunity to become more engaged with the content we produce.

Every month we produce at least:

• 60 Website Articles
• 20 Daily Video Shows
• 4 Weekly Podcasts
• Match Previews
• Match Reviews
• Video Interviews
• And more…

So please join our Patreon today initiative today. Even a tiny amount can make a big difference.

SA20 Preview and Squads

By Abhai Sawkar

After a short but riveting Test series against India, the focus now shifts to the SA20. The recent buildup regarding the upcoming Tests in New Zealand has been far from ideal. But then again, there’s plenty at stake in the flagship T20 competition, especially with the T20 World Cup starting in June.

All six teams look largely similar from last time, but there have been several transfers as well as exciting new domestic and overseas recruits. The previous edition was a blockbuster, with record fan turnout as well as plenty of hard-fought contests from beginning to end. In addition, the tournament has brought about much-needed profit for South African cricket. Here comes an opportunity to build on what’s already been a humdinger of a start.

So without further ado, let’s dive into the rosters for the 2024 SA20.

Sunrisers Eastern Cape:

Aiden Markram (c), Tom Abell*, Ottniel Baartman, Temba Bavuma, Liam Dawson*, Sarel Erwee, Aya Gqamane, Simon Harmer, Jordan Hermann, Marco Jansen, Patrick Kruger, Dawid Malan*, Adam Rossington*, Caleb Seleka, Andile Simelane, Tristan Stubbs, Beyers Swanepoel, Daniel Worrall*

Notes:

The defending champions have roped in experienced Test offspinner Harmer from Durban.

England fast bowler Brydon Carse is injured, so they signed Australian seamer Worrall as a replacement.

All in all, they’re very much a power-packed side, with many quality Proteas in the mix. As for the rest of the overseas contingent, the Sunrisers have hard-hitting openers in Malan and Rossington, and the latter will most likely keep wicket.

Pretoria Capitals:

Wayne Parnell (c), Matthew Boast, Corbin Bosch, Eathan Bosch, Shane Dadswell, Theunis de Bruyn, Daryn Dupavillon, Colin Ingram, Will Jacks*, Senuran Muthusamy, Jimmy Neesham*, Migael Pretorius, Adil Rashid*, Rilee Rossouw, Phil Salt*, Paul Stirling*, Hardus Viljoen, Tiaan van Vuuren, Kyle Verreynne

Notes:

The runners-up are hoping to bounce back with a bang, and they have just the personnel to potentially do so.

First of all, their overseas players all had success in T20Is last year. With many seasoned campaigners in the side, much will be expected from Pretoria.

Anrich Nortje was ruled out of the tournament. He was replaced by Hardus Viljoen. 

Finally, rookie recruits (such as Stolk) are unavailable given the scheduling conflict with the U19 World Cup. Tiaan van Vuuren replaced Stolk in the PC squad. 

Joburg Super Kings:

Faf du Plessis (c), Moeen Ali*, Nandre Burger, Gerald Coetzee, Sam Cook*, Leus du Plooy*, Donovan Ferreira, Dayyaan Galiem, Reeza Hendricks, Ronan Herrmann, Zahir Khan*, Wayne Madsen*, Sibonelo Makhanya, Aaron Phangiso, Romario Shepherd*, Kyle Simmonds, Imran Tahir, David Wiese*, Lizaad Williams

Notes:

They made the playoffs last year, but they have bounced back stronger. Their spin department looks to be dangerous, with all types of spin bowling covered in their squad.

All eyes will be on the skipper, as there’s lots of buzz over whether he will be able to return to international cricket.

Paarl Royals:

David Miller (c), Ferisco Adams, Fabian Allen*, Jos Buttler*, Bjorn Fortuin, Evan Jones, Wihan Lubbe, Keith Dudgeon, Obed McCoy*, Lungi Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nqaba Peter, Jason Roy*, Tabraiz Shamsi, Lorcan Tucker*, John Turner*, Mitchell van Buuren, Dane Vilas, Codi Yusuf

Notes:

Much of the side has remained intact, but two intriguing signings are Ireland wicketkeeper Tucker and England fast bowler Turner, who has been part of recent T20I squads.

Durban’s Super Giants:

Keshav Maharaj (c), Noor Ahmad*, Matthew Breetzke, Junior Dala, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Heinrich Klaasen, Kyle Mayers*, Wiaan Mulder, Naveen-ul-Haq*, Bryce Parsons, Keemo Paul*, Nicholas Pooran*, Dwaine Pretorius, Bhanuka Rajapaksa*, Jason Smith, Jon-Jon Smuts, Prenelan Subrayen, Reece Topley*

Notes:

It was largely a season to forget for the franchise from KZN, but they have taken proactive measures to plan ahead and rebuild.

Sri Lankan seamer and ODI WC star Dilshan Madushanka is unable to play, since he’s on national duty. Meanwhile, Durban has signed Afghanistan mystery spinner Noor Ahmad as cover.

Quinton de Kock no longer plays Tests and ODIs, but this SA20 could be the ideal launch pad for the upcoming T20WC.

The link with the Lucknow sister franchise remains strong, with familiar faces in Pooran, Mayers, and Naveen.

MI Cape Town:

Kieron Pollard (c)*, Nuwan Thushara*, Tom Banton*, Chris Benjamin*, Dewald Brevis, Sam Curran*, Connor Esterhuizen, Beuran Hendricks, Duan Jansen, Thomas Kaber, George Linde, Liam Livingstone*, Kieron Pollard*, Delano Potgieter, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Grant Roelofsen, Olly Stone*, Rassie van der Dussen, Nealan van Heerden, Rashid Khan

Notes:

Jofra Archer was ruled out of the tournament.

In spite of having a stacked squad on paper during the inaugural edition, MI Cape Town ended up chopping and changing their XI on numerous occasions.

Figuring out the ideal combination early on will be key, as many would envy the quality of this roster.

Business Corner

By Khalid Mohidin

Businesses can now market affordably and effectively to a cricket audience!

We are excited to announce the launch of our Business Corner to help you market your business, products and services affordably and effectively to a cricket audience.

Since we started Cricket Fanatics Magazine in 2019, we've survived a pandemic, lockdowns, no cricket and even the financial woes of Cricket South Africa.

As a small, independent startup, we know how difficult it is to remain competitive under difficult circumstances.

We have to compete with some of the biggest media companies in the world ourselves, despite not having the budget and the resources they have.

However, we found a strategy that works for smaller businesses and that has been proven to work for thousands of businesses all over the world.

When we first discovered this strategy, we didn't believe that it would work.

After all, everybody around us was trying to blast their way to success via social media, just like the big brands did with traditional media like print, radio and television.

But it made so much sense that we decided to test it ourselves.

Today we are a well-respected publication in cricket circles.

And we have the systems to help any business implement the strategy.

We've therefore decided to start a Business Corner to help businesses implement this strategy.

But we know it's not for everybody.

Read more about the strategy and the system on our Business Page to decide whether you are ready to implement a modern online marketing strategy that gets you more long-term happy customers.

Ronan Herrmann's Happy Place

By C.S Chiwanza

The Pretoria Capitals were looking for a wicketkeeper for their intra-squad match - Kusal Mendis, their other wicketkeeper, had yet to arrive. Bongani Ndaba suggested Ronan Herrmann to the coaching staff. It was an opportunity that he jumped at. He had only one request, “He asked me if it was possible for me to give him a few throwdowns after the match. He didn’t think he would get a chance to bat. He said, ‘Maybe if the coaches see me in the nets they might keep me in mind,’” says Ndaba.

He saw in Ronan’s eyes the same hunger he had seen in 2016, only this time Ronan’s eyes were not welling up in tears. Ndaba was happy to oblige him. But, as it turned out, he didn’t need that net session for anyone to notice him. He was already on a few teams’ radars. A few months later, the Joburg Super Kings offered him a rookie contract.

One of the first things you notice as you enter Marius Herrmann's office is the bat on the shelf. It has battle scars, red indents of where the ball made contact; circles, semi-circles, and crescents. If you move in close, you can see the contact points of the times when Ronan Herrmann edged deliveries.

The Kookaburra bat holds pride of place on the shelf. It was the first real bat Marius bought for his son after a slew of mini-bats. It cradles so many memories. Father and son played backyard cricket with it. Ronan scored his first century with that bat. He was nine. Marius was so moved by the moment that he cried with joy.

When Moeen Ali was born, his father, Munir Ali, rubbed a mini cricket bat on his forehead. It was their way of writing the newborn's fate. Munir had picked up the ritual from his twin brother, Shabir, who had rubbed a cricket ball on his newborn son's foreheads a few years before. Shabir wanted his sons to be bowlers, hence the ball. Munir wanted his sons to be batters, so he used a bat.

Unlike Munir Ali, Marius Herrmann was not a cricket dad. His background was in rugby and weightlifting no sporting dreams for Ronan. Like any other parent, Marius marvelled at his son's hand-eye coordination - Ronan could hit a golf ball off the tee and instinctively understood how to pass a rugby ball at four. A Tiger-dad/Tiger-mum would have taken that as a sign.

Other parents could have taken the hundred Ronan scored at nine as another sign of a sports career-in-waiting. Marius’ reaction was nowhere close to that. “When Ronan scored that 100, I thought, ‘Okay, let's enjoy this and see where it goes,’” he says. There were no grand plans or great expectations, Marius was just happy that Ronan had found a sport he was happy to play.

From the moment he could move independently, Ronan was a menace. The kid was a ball of energy and couldn't keep still. At any given moment he was either throwing, kicking, batting, hitting or chasing a ball. Sports kept him occupied.

Marius bought the Kookaburra bat because, from the age of six or seven, Ronan showed a greater love for cricket over other sports and it was the best tool for him when he graduated to hard balls at school. “He actually guided himself in a direction in the sense that you could see he loved the cricket aspect of it more,” says Marius.

Ronan Herrmann eats short balls for breakfast. He has done so from the moment he has known how to hold a bat properly. When they played backyard cricket, one of the rules was if a batter hit the ball to the wall, they were out. One stayed in by blocking and driving down the ground. Because he was a short kid, the best tactic against Ronan was attacking him with the short ball, and that’s what his cousins did. They employed the short ball.

His taller cousins did not have to try to bowl short, Ronan was already short and some deliveries on a good length were short-pitched to him. He learned to hook, pull and take evasive action as a matter of survival. But, of course, Ronan didn’t just look to survive, he looked to dominate.

The matches were three-day Tests, with multiple intervals for meals and drinks. Ronan was always an equal match to their short-pitched bowling. Ronan didn't parry while taking evasive action. He rose to his toes and pulled as if his life depended on it. His innings often spilt into the second day.

When he joined Kagiso Cricket Club, Ronan was 13. He was the youngest and smallest player on the team. His size was a problem for some rugby coaches, and they chose to leave him out of teams because of it. It is also possible that his size was the reason why he wasn’t selected for the Gauteng Under-13 sides, both A and B, despite being the highest run-scorer in his age group at the trials held at St. Stithians.

“I was 36 kgs when I walked into high school and it was a big challenge for me even when I played club cricket because I was so small the guys I was playing against thought they could have bullied me and actually intimidate a young guy like me. But luckily I wasn't really bothered. At that stage I was just focusing on myself I must say for a small boy. If I look back I was pretty mentally strong. There were a lot of chats before that where people told me I wouldn’t make it because of my size,” says Ronan.

Watching him face bigger and older bowlers was like watching a bantamweight fighter going toe-to-toe with a heavyweight boxer. First, the big fast bowlers tried to stare him down. They tried to scare him using the short ball when he didn't back down. When that failed, they chirped him. Ronan Herrmann always had a reply ready: "Stop wasting your time. I have faced bigger players on the rugby field and they didn’t scare me. Get on with it."

In one of his first innings for Kagiso CC, whom he debuted for at 13, Ronan opened the batting and fielded several short balls from a strong Old Edwardians bowling lineup that featured the talents of bowlers like Mitch van Buuren. He was unfazed as he scored a breezy 72 runs.

Bongani Ndaba was always on the lookout for young cricketers to bring to St. Stithians, that’s why he was watching the Under-13 trials. He knew almost immediately that Ronan was a special cricketer. The sound of the bat when he made contact made you sit up and pay attention. Ronan was small but struck the ball with authority. His calling was on point and he ran between the wickets with purpose. He was doing all the things that Ndaba taught his students. According to Ndaba, Ronan showed a good understanding of the game.

That’s why he didn’t understand it when the Under-13 coaches did not pick Ronan for the age group. “I told them, ‘You cannot tell me that there is a kid better than that boy.’ But, they stuck to their decision and there was nothing I could do about it,” says Ndaba.

“After the trials, Bongani came to us and he said, ‘I noticed Ronan is disappointed, but let's take Ronnie and let him come to Kagiso.’ I asked him why and he said, ‘I believe in the boy and we're gonna do wonders with his kid,’” says Marius.

Playing for a club like Kagiso is attending the school of hard knocks. They compete with better-resourced clubs with lineups that are 10 times better. Their batters are always in collapse mode and their bowlers are under constant pressure. “It teaches you the value of your wicket. A lot of times the guys find themselves on 80 for three or 80 for four. If Ronan scored 100, then we had a chance of reaching 220 or more. So, I always told Ronan that he was our big star and we depended on him,” says Ndaba.

Ronan thrived in that environment. He learned how to construct an innings at Kagiso CC.

Before Ronan Herrmann, Noordheuwel Hoerskool had never had a representative at the Khaya Majola Week. None of their alumni had ever represented South Africa at Under-19 level. It is quite a feat. There are countless players who did not come from traditional cricket powerhouses who failed to make careers out of cricket, despite being talented.

Schools like Affies, Maritzburg College, KES, Wynberg, Grey High, Grey College and others have better facilities and coaching, something that schools like Noordheuwel do not have. “These schools have former professional cricketers on their coaching staff. You cannot underestimate the value these people bring to the development of young cricketers. Their mentorship is crucial,” says Brad Bing, the founder and director of Sporting Chance.

However, Ronan Herrmann went to Noordheuwel by design. “I grew up in an Afrikaans home and I think I would have struggled a lot with the language if I had gone to an English-speaking school at that age. It is different now because I am older, I can fit into any situation,” says Ronan.

The decision meant that he had to work twice as hard to be noticed. Each time he was overlooked despite performing well at trials, Ronan refused to let go of his dreams because he had not attended a fancy school, he constantly told himself, ‘If you work hard and the stats are there, they can't take anything away of you.’ He was going to force them to notice him. At Under-13 and 14, the plan didn’t work. He scored buckets of runs and failed to get selected. At the Under-15 trials, he scored 400 runs in five games to earn his spot in the squad in the Gauteng team.

By then, Marius had constructed nets for him at home where he had a couple of sessions a day, one in the morning before leaving for school and the other one late in the day. At home, his family fed him balls and Jared Newton, a private coach, gave him instruction. In between he trained at school and with Kagiso CC, where Bongani Ndaba gave him guidance. It literally took a village of small-town cricket lovers to raise Ronan Herrmann the cricketer.

“Every level Ronan has reached, I cried my eyes out. I can even get emotional now just talking about it. I wasn't a cricket player, but I know how hard he had to work to get what he wanted. And what he had to achieve just to get noticed. I think he's called 1500 runs the first season, then in grade nine he scored 1300 and something runs, and in grade 10 another 1000 and something runs. The effort he has put in is incredible,” says Marius.

Heinrich Klaasen was behind the stumps. Tabraiz Shamsi was at point. They didn’t have to say a word. Their presence on the field was enough to give an 18-year-old debutant stage fright. Ronan Herrmann wasn’t just making his debut for the Lions against a team laden with Proteas players, and he was doing so in the final of the CSA one-day competition. But, Ronan wasn’t any run-of-the-mill 18-year-old.

Earlier in the day, the teenager had been faultless in his execution of his wicketkeeping duties. The Titans were missing the services of Quinton de Kock, who was at the IPL. However, any fan who might have wandered over to Supersport Park with the hopes of catching the Proteas wicketkeeper could be forgiven for thinking that de Kock had moved over to the other side of the Jukskei River.

Like de Kock, Ronan wears the number 12 shirt and he keeps like his role model. “So my role model since I was young was obviously Quinton de Kock. The way he carries himself and his approach to the game, he is aggressive and never looks uncomfortable,” says Ronan.

Ronan took three catches as the Lions restricted the Titans to 318. Marius’ pride is audible when he speaks of Ronan taking a catch to dismiss Heinrich Klaasen.

As he waited to face his first delivery of the match, he was 13 once again. Not the 13-year-old kid who failed to land a spot in the Gauteng A or B sides, but the version that seamlessly assimilated into the Kagiso CC culture. “On his first Saturday with the team, Ronnie went and sat amongst the guys and they had pap and s'shebo the first lunch. They had embraced him and he had embraced them. It was beautiful to see my child being happy,” says Marius.

Ronan Herrmann is happiest when he is on the cricket field, helping his team.

Feature Image: JSK/Facebook

Getting To Know Steve Stolk

By Stuart Judge

Over the past few months, many cricket fans have seen online videos of this young cricketer dispatching many bowlers around the park and picking up wickets with his fast-medium bowling, however, many people underestimate how hard he has worked to get to the point of being drafted as a rookie-player for the Capitals in the SA20 (he has subsequently become unavailable for the tournament due to being selected for the South African under-19 world cup squad).

Throughout his early childhood, he was always seen either playing rugby or cricket with his family. His father, Steve Stolk Senior, recalls playing games with him that would test his hand-eye coordination where he would get Steve to catch tennis balls with both his left and right hand while diving into the pool. The family built cricket nets in their back garden and installed a bowling machine where they would practice and analyze footage of his batting and bowling.

He started off his schooling career at Laerskool Lynwood in Pretoria where his father is the Headmaster and would subsequently attend Hoërskool Menlopark. Laerskool Lynwood is renowned for their coaching in cricket and they would often go on tour to cities such as Durban where they would regularly beat South Africa’s top cricketing institutions (at primary school level).

By the age of 10, it was highly evident that Steve had exceptional hand-eye coordination and technical skills, however, he also excelled at other sports such as Rugby and Athletics.

During his time at Laerskool Lynwood, he played in provincial tournaments for the Blue Bulls U12 age group and he was also selected for the Blue Bulls U13 Craven Week team. His father stated that at certain points in his schooling career, he felt that his son was a better rugby player. Last year he beat the South African javelin champion for his age group.

He started representing the school’s first team cricket side when he was in grade eight and soon he will play his hundredth game for the first team. At one particular tournament in his grade eight year (when he was 14 years old), he scored 99 runs not out off 38 balls against bowlers who were 17 and 18 years old.

Stolk also captained various age group sides throughout his school career, however, it is said that he initially struggled to get the best out of the other players. His father (who has his national colours in officiating rugby matches), often explained to him how he should talk to the umpires and his teammates so that they can perform at a higher level.

The following coaches played an important role in aiding the technical and emotional development of the young aspiring cricketer: Samy Maleka (from the ages of 6 to 10 years old), Ruan Pieterse (from the age of 11 to 13 years old), Arno van Wyk (who coached him from 14 to this present moment), Onke Mtsiba (who coached him at under 12 and 13 levels as well as at the Titans and LPL sides), Tom Khoza (who coached him at the Titans and LPL side), Andile Maliwa (at the LPL and Big Bash) and Thabang Khumalo (U19 provincial coach).

Stolk has also played in various forms of provincial and club cricket tournaments throughout his school career. He recently won player of the tournament at the U17 LPL tournament.

Stolk (who wasn’t initially selected for the U19 side), scored 153 runs off 72 balls in the under 17 semi-finals. The U19 coach (coach Onke), subsequently selected him to play in the U19 final the following day. Stolk came to the crease with his side two wickets down for just one run and managed to score 78 runs off 32 balls to earn himself the Man of the Match.

His father attributed the two-and-a-half-minute video that was uploaded by Werner Erasmus (who regularly writes for Cricket Fanatics Magazine and provides invaluable insight on the online shows), to his former YouTube channel SA Cricket Talent as a major contributing factor for his son being selected for the Capitals.

Werner has subsequently joined the Capitals recruitment staff for the SA20. His father said that the video had gained so much popularity that he received phone calls from overseas scouts about the possibility of Stolk representing their teams.

Stolk (who had not been selected for the U19 trials), scored 153 runs off 72 balls in the North vs South tournament. He was the tournament’s second-highest run-scorer behind Lhuan-dre Pretorius. He subsequently was contacted by Patrick Marone after he scored 78 runs in the final match and was selected for the U19 side.

Throughout his career, his coaches frequently say that his best qualities are listening to what they tell him and practising what the coaches tell him outside of the sessions he has with them. His father said that he frequently practices three to four hours per day and often struggles to get him to stop training.

A specific example of how thoroughly he prepares for matches and tournaments was when he prepared for the North vs South tournament by getting the best three spin bowlers at Menlopark to bowl at him for three hours as he knew that he would be facing a lot of spinners at the tournament.

An American high school basketball coach by the name of Tim Notke (who coached Kevin Durant once said), “Hard work beats talent when talent does not work hard”.

It is highly evident that this young athlete has demonstrated this concept up until this point, and we at Cricket Fanatics Magazine wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and for his upcoming matric year.

SA20 the Perfect Platform to Springboard Young Talent

By Marc Jacobson

Many cricket fans and followers perceive the SA20 – South Africa’s version of the IPL – as a money-spinning tournament, but its roots descend far deeper than just economical gain.

The IPL is the biggest cricket tournament in the world with regards to its viewership, attendances and extensive financial backing, so it’s no surprise that the IPL-owned SA20 league would be held in similar esteem ahead of its second edition that starts on January 10.

Last year’s SA20 skyrocketed in terms of its deliverance as a world-class T20 tournament. Many lesser-known players came to the fore, which is one of the tournament’s bragging points. This highly-exposed and well-documented league provides a perfect base from which young, aspiring players can make a name for themselves in the world of cricket.

Starting out as a professional sportsperson can be a daunting prospect for young players, because there are so many unknowns as their illustrious and vibrant careers are just starting out. There can be much excitement and pride, but there can also be smudges of disappointment and dismay along the way.

Cricket is a highly competitive sport, especially in prideful countries like SA. To make it, players need to perform above themselves consistently, without letting the pressures weigh down on their games and their personal approaches to the sport. Performing in front of and for the masses is a whole different kettle of fish than performing for a junior team, your club or school team.

The SA20 basically throws young players into the deep end, but at the same time provides them with the ideal safety apparatuses to swim. This comes in the form of the support systems around them in each team and the accompanying senior players to keep them grounded and level-headed.

Young players will often have the ability to shine, but would seldom lack the maturity to produce the goods in pressure moments and times when their team is struggling. T20 cricket, the shortest international format, gives them the opportunity to hit out – or vary their bowling – and test their abilities in ways you can’t do in 50-over or red ball cricket.

The SA20 then gives young players alike to tweak, develop and manage their identities, while being assisted by world-class players and coaches around them, and while playing against some of the world’s most prolific players.

New SA20 regulations have also been introduced this season that requires every team to contract at least one “rookie player” – as it’s coined. These rookie players have to be South African, which bodes well for local talent who’d just come out of school or who’d recently played in the U19 leagues across the country.

There is also the fickle and challenging period in a youngster’s sporting career where he has to bridge the gap between playing as a junior and making it into a senior set-up. As a result, they become too old to play in a junior team, but they’re still too young or inexperienced to necessarily crack it in a senior side.

This usually takes place between the ages of 20 and 23. But with the new regulation now being incorporated, this challenge can be overcome a lot easier. That’s because it specifically states that the rookie needs to be 22 years of age and younger, which clearly provides valuable opportunities to those players who may get lost in transition.

On top of that, these selected youngsters get the opportunity to not only play alongside – and against – the best local talent there is to offer, but also with some stellar international players. With the salary caps for each team having increased by R5.1-million (to R39.1-million) this year, more international stars can be recruited.

Of each squad of 19, there has to be at least 11 South African players, which gives way to eight slots in each squad to acquire the services of seasoned international players. And although there is only one slot reserved for a rookie player, there is still a wildcard spot up for grabs where players who weren’t auctioned off can still make the cut for one of the SA20 franchises.

This provides even more opportunities for younger players to get their feet in the door of top flight cricket – that’s if they’d shown enough potential up till the squads were finalised.

Last season, several young players made their mark in the inaugural SA20 such as the then 22-year-old Gerald Coetzee, who has since become a regular for the Proteas in white ball cricket. He played for the Joburg Super Kings and had certainly put his name on the map.

Other players included were (age and team last year in brackets): wicketkeeper-batsman Donovon Ferreira (24, Joburg Super Kings), Tristan Stubbs (22, Sunrisers Eastern Cape) – who’d also gotten much taste of international cricket since – Jordan Hermann (21, Sunrisers Eastern Cape), Dewald Brevis (19, MI Cape Town), Caleb Seleka (20, Joburg Super Kings) and Matthew Breetzke (24, Paarl Royals).

Even if these infant players are not given the opportunity to play, they can still get the opportunity to wrap their heads around what it takes to succeed, while mingling and rubbing shoulders with the some of the world’s best talent both on and off the field, which is a win-win situation.

On the other end, some of the youngsters had earned their national stripes, indirectly as a result of exposing their talents when the time was right. There is not much better limelight to attain than to produce the performances in the SA20. The first season was an exciting one, with every game almost reeling in sold-out crowds.

There is so much buzz at each match and millions of eyes on screens, that a single starring performance is good enough to turn heads and open doors for a young player. The IPL delivers just that for Indian cricket, so there is no doubt that the second version of the SA20 will do the same for SA – it only bodes well for everyone involved!

Rookie players who were picked up in the Auction:

Durban Super Giants- Bryce Parsons (22, Dolphins)
Joburg Super Kings- Ronan Hermann (20, Lions)
MI Cape Town- Connor Esterhuizen (22, Lions)
Paarl Royals- Lhuan-dre Pretorius (17, not available due to U19 World Cup)
Pretoria Capitals- Steve Stolk (17, not available due to U19 World Cup)
Sunrisers Eastern Cape- Andile Simelane (20, Dolphins)